 Coming into the Summer TRIP program I had no idea what to expect. This experience taught me how to think like a scientist, work through mistakes, and connect with people who are just as passionate as me. At first the idea of using fruit flies to study health felt a little odd. But as the weeks went on I started to understand how strong of a model organism they are. Through the different assays like Centrophobism, Negative Geotaxis, and the Female Fertility Assay,I saw how diet and environment directly influence behavior and reproduction. The assays weren’t always easy. In fact sometimes I was frustrated when the flies would escape or when my data didn’t come out “clean.” But I now know that this is part of the process. Science isn’t about perfect results but it’s about learning to ask better questions  One of my favorite parts of the program was getting to design my own independent experiment. I chose to study how melatonin might protect against anxiety and reproduction caused by head trauma. The career talks were another highlight for me. Hearing from scientists, doctors, and staff at Fox Chase helped me realize how many different paths exist within science. But above all the sense of community is what I’ll remember most. Everyone in the room wanted to be there. We helped each other troubleshoot and laughed a lot. I felt like I belonged not just in a lab, but in a space where people genuinely care about science and each other. This program didn’t just make me more confident in a lab. It made me more curious. It made me ask “why” more often. TRIP opened the door for me to imagine a future in research and I’m excited to walk through it. 
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 Hello, my name is Saanvi, and I just completed Summer TRIP 2025! The program was overall extremely intriguing and sparked my interest in the research side of medicine. I enjoyed how each day we were introduced to a new assay and explored different aspects of a fly’s biology. The structure of each day beginning with a lecture, then a hands-on experiment, ending with a career talk provided a good balance to each day. My assays studied the effect of alpha-lipoic acid and high sugar on fruit fly’s fertility, anxiety, and activity. Personally, my favorite assay was the fertility assay because I enjoyed how it had multiple parts and allowed us to use different lab tools like the CO2 gun and microscopes. I also enjoyed the independence of conducting each assay. I found that I was well prepared for the assays, and when I did have questions, I had great mentors to help answer my questions. Another great aspect of the program was the daily career talks, which exposed me to a variety of job opportunities as well as the inner workings of a hospital. My favorite career talk was Dr. Mgbojikwe’s, who introduced me to a completely new career path of being a hospitalist. I enjoyed how she discussed the value of a work life balance, something I feel is rarely mentioned in similar presentations. My favorite part of the program was conducting the experiments because of how hands on and independent the work was. I feel like I learn best from making mistakes and adjusting my strategy, which is why the nature of this program was so intriguing to me. Participating in this program made my interest in science grow stronger as it exposed me to a new environment. Additionally, being able to be on the Fox Chase campus helped me envision what kind of career interests me in the future. The work I did here helped me build skills that I will need in my future to collaborate, synthesize data, and conduct experiments. Most of all, the highlight of this program was working with such great peers and mentors. All of the mentors and career speakers were extremely open and helpful, making me feel extremely comfortable to ask questions and learn more. Overall, the program was a great experience, and I came out of it with many new skills and mentors
 Hi everyone! My name is Noah Perot, and I am a senior at Friends’ Central School—more importantly though, I am a science enthusiast! TRIP has been one of the most interesting and rewarding programs I’ve participated in and might even top the list for my favorite week of summer (TBD!). Over the past week, I’ve learned how to tell apart male and female fruit flies, make fly food, and even how to transfer flies from vial to vial without losing any (well, maybe just one or two). One of the challenges I’ve faced over the past week has been making sure that I follow each step of the protocol as accurately as possible. Sometimes missing a step isn’t the end of the world, such as tapping a fly vial a couple more times than necessary. But other times, if you forget to set a timer, you may end up with permanently frozen flies! (Thankfully, I was able to avoid this outcome.) Whenever I was unsure about what came next, my TAs and Dr. Austria were patient and supportive, answering my questions and then some.  For my project, I studied the effects of valerian and constant darkness on fly motility, anxiety, and female fertility. Each of the assays, or tests, that I used brought their own challenges. For example, the female fertility assay required using the microscope to tell apart hatched and unhatched embryos. When the embryos had been laid in the blob of yeast in the center of our grape plates, however, this became a somewhat mighty task. Still, it was amazing to see that dozens and dozens of eggs had been laid in just a few hours by these prolific fruit flies. The centrophobism assay, used to measure fly anxiety, seemed like it would be easy, but the need to film the assay from above using a camera clamp proved somewhat tricky for my slippery iPhone 11. The negative geotaxis assay was one of my favorites. Used to measure fly motility, the assay involves tapping flies down in a vial and seeing how far they climb up after three seconds. After a few rounds, it began to feel like a race, and I became quite disappointed when the flies that had been exposed to both valerian and constant darkness seemed woefully drowsy compared to the rest. Overall, it was really fun to work with these little fruit flies, and I was fascinated by the dozens if not hundreds of assays used to study fruit flies as a model organism for humans. Next time you leave out fruit too long and fruit flies start calling your kitchen home, take a moment to remember how much these little guys have done to pioneer many of the advances in cancer treatment and other fields of medicine  Another big component of what made my week at TRIP unique was getting to hear from professionals at Fox Chase who work in a variety of different areas to keep the hospital running. On the very first day, we heard from Dr. Nkemdilim Mgbojikwe, who is a hospitalist, a career I had never even heard of! She and several other speakers spoke of a lack of linearity in their career paths; most people don’t know exactly what they want to do twenty or thirty years down the line. In order to be successful, you also have to be able to adapt to different workplace environments and pivot when personal or professional circumstances or needs change. This was both eye-opening and reassuring as someone who is interested in science and medicine but unsure exactly what I want my career to look like. I was also inspired by Brice Corbin, who oversees the patient experience at Fox Chase. While not a doctor, Mr. Corbin leans on his 20+ year career working in hospitality to ensure that patients and their families feel welcomed and heard in the hospital setting. His positivity and friendliness were inspiring and made me realize how important maintaining a good attitude is in any setting  I believe TRIP is unique because its goal is multi-faceted. While science and experimentation form the core of the program—I loved learning scientific techniques and proper lab protocol—I believe the career talks and exposure to research, and hospital settings were just as influential on my growth as an aspiring scientist. Seeing people with such different backgrounds all come together to make things run smoothly made me realize what an inclusive community science and medicine can be. Crucially, it was great to experience all this alongside peers who are as passionate and excited about the future of STEM as I am. I am grateful to everyone who helped make the program what it was, and I can’t wait to see what’s next!
 This past summer, I had the incredible opportunity to be a part of the Teen Research Internship Program (TRIP) at Fox Chase Cancer Center. Initially, I set into this program to expand upon my laboratory technical skills and overall scientific knowledge. However, over the course of the program, I learned increasingly more about myself as a learner, collaborator, and potential scientist. The TRIP program portrays itself as a program to help students get more interested in STEM-based careers. Their commitment to introducing students to all aspects of STEM careers is truly impressive. From guest speakers in administrative posts, hospitality, and clinical residents, TRIP truly allows its students to think which angle they’d like to learn more about and how it is more suitable to their interests. TRIP is an incredibly balanced program with educational in-lab assignments, extensive guest speakers, and continued support in developing a STEM community.  Starting a week before the actual start date, we were provided ample material to educate ourselves on the topics we would be using to experiment and conduct procedures. The optional supplemental packets on google classrooms truly led me to get a start on the technical language and procedure of the program while also not pressuring me to complete it. The assays we completed daily were incredibly similar in nature. The three assays that we performed were the open field assay, female fertility assay, and the negative geotaxis assay. Throughout all of these experiment days, we were always provided with a demonstration on how to properly conduct the procedure and with a further explanation of it in the beginning morning lecture with Dr. Austria. This made the assays incredibly concise and simple to perform and allowed me to complete them comfortably in the time frame given.  Most importantly, we were provided quite some independence in choosing which variables to include in our experiments. This led to me choosing to study the effects of Vitamin E and head trauma on the fertility, motility, and sociability of fruit flies. We prepared flies in four different conditions and used these vials in each assay throughout the week to quantify different data. The process was far from perfect, and I didn’t always get the results I wanted, but that only taught me to persevere and still approach the assay with as much confidence as my other more reliable results. The data eventually suggested that a combination of Vitamin E and head trauma has a contrasting effect that slightly improves the sociability of the flies. The same goes for the mobility and activity of the flies in the negative geotaxis assay. The only peculiar results were the combination of the head trauma and Vitamin E actually incredibly decreasing female fertility and viability of their embryos in the female fertility assay. These results could be due to a variety of other third-party factors as well which were mentioned when I interpreted my data and presented my conclusions.  While the main goal for me was to gain more research experience, TRIP also provided a valuable resource in the form of people. TRIP arranged guest speakers who were incredibly insightful and helpful in providing information and more resources for us if we were interested in pursuing their prospective careers. There was a topic for everyone in these lectures since they included different tiers and areas of working in a hospital. The one that spoke to me in particular was the one given by Dr. Mgbojikwe on our first day. Dr. Mgbojikwe explained her career as a hospitalist and her general dislike towards being a clinical physician. One of Dr. Mgbojikwe's most valuable points was that it’s alright to veer towards different paths and try something new. The road to a permanent career is challenging and usually divides your decisions. That is why you should make decisions about your career at your own pace regardless of the path that is “usually taken”  Most importantly, TRIP cemented my future in the STEM world. I have been looking at pursuing a career in research or as a clinical physician. TRIP showed me both sides while also allowing me to participate in engaging experiments throughout the program to develop my technical laboratory skills. TRIP emphasized that everyone at Fox Chase was a part of the STEM community and how they valued unity as an organization above most things. This truly spoke to me which allowed me to enjoy the whole experience and all of the wonderful people I met. Above all else, I enjoyed the strength of the Fox Chase community as a whole and how much it persuaded me to definitely pursue a career in something similar.
Looking back on the experience, TRIP was an incredibly welcoming space where I further developed my future as a scientist and a student willing to take on even the most difficult challenges. I learned that research isn’t always giving you the expected results, which can be frustrating, but the journey still shapes you in so many ways. As I move forward in my journey, the lessons I learned during TRIP will always be helpful and stay with me. I have gained so much confidence in my ability to think independently, approach questions in a new way, and conduct experiments using laboratory skills. Whether I pursue a career in research or as a physician, I will always look back at the foundation in STEM that TRIP provided me with for motivation and inspiration.  One of the most rewarding and eye-opening experiences I had was participating in the Summer TRIP program. During the program, I had the unique pleasure of working directly with fruit flies as a model organism for the study of the impact of environmental and dietary conditions on health. Having direct laboratory experience and being actively involved in the scientific process enabled me to look at research in an entirely different way. It made me look forward to being able to continue it in college and beyond. My absolute favorite part of the program was the fruit fly work. There was something so gratifying about actually conducting experiments rather than merely reading about them in a textbook. I especially liked how the program enabled us to have our own personal flies and experiments to take care of. It really made me feel like a scientist. I performed three main assays during the program: negative geotaxis, centrophobism, and female fertility. All presented challenges and learning experiences, but I particularly enjoyed learning how each behavior assay could be connected to general health results in humans.  That said, not everything was easy. One of the hardest things I had to do was transfer the flies from vial to vial. It took a steady hand, patience, and practice to do this without harming the flies or losing them completely. Analyzing my data was another unexpected challenge. There were several points at which the results that I found didn't align with the predictions that I had made. That forced me to think about the experiment more critically, go back to my hypothesis, and understand the limitations of biological variability. Though at times infuriating, it ultimately made me a stronger thinker and researcher. Aside from the lab work, the Career Talks gave an eye-opening view of the myriad of directions that exist within the scientific and medical fields. The most interesting talk to me was the one discussing the hospitalist's role. It was comforting to know how it is possible for doctors to maintain a healthy work-life balance, which is widely seen as an issue in the medical profession. It gave me a greater sense of optimism in pursuing a similar path, finding out about flexibility and options in a medical career. Overall, Summer TRIP has definitely given me a greater interest in science and research. I appreciated how the program gave us a taste of a variety of laboratory techniques, skills, and scientific thinking. It made me realize that I would enjoy being more involved with research in the future, specifically in a college setting where I will have the opportunity to explore areas more in depth. I'm really glad that I had this opportunity, and I'm excited to see where this interest will take me in the future.   Summer TRIP was truly an amazing experience. I learned a great deal from working in the lab and interacting with my peers, teaching assistants, and program instructor, who made the program both informative and enjoyable. The guest speakers also shed light on the numerous career paths available at Fox Chase. In the lab, I learned a lot while completing different assays. The fertility assay taught me how to identify embryos, whether they were hatched or unhatched, and how to carefully calibrate the microscope. The centrophobism assay taught me to pay great attention to detail when defining the borders of each plate, and although it was meticulous work, it made data collection easy. The negative geotaxis assay required a constant routine, and it was important to make sure that I tapped each one of the tubes three times, and waited exactly three seconds before I took a photo to ensure that all the tubes received the same treatment. The assays themselves did not pose much of a challenge, but at times—such as when I couldn't determine the gender of a fly or identify whether or not an embryo had hatched—it was essential to ask for help. The instruction leading up to the assays was also excellent because of the demos our fantastic teaching assistants provided before our tests. It was helpful to not only read about the assay and its protocols in our instruction packets, but also to see how it was done by those who had performed the tests before us.  One of the highlights of the program was the career talks. The Fox Chase Staff led engaging presentations that not only told us about them, but they also showed genuine interest in our experiences and goals. This level of personal engagement with us made the talks very intriguing. Specifically, they shared the lessons they learned in their careers, which were also applicable to us as we move forward in our scientific journeys. One memorable piece of advice came from Joshua Lahav, who emphasized the importance of finding a mentor whom you can look up to and call upon for advice, regardless of whether they work in the future field you are interested in. I know the importance of having people by your side through challenges, and his words resonated with me. Many of the talks struck a chord with me, but among them, I greatly appreciated Mr. Lahav, Dr. Purdy, and Dr. Patterson’s talks. Mr. Lahav shared many lessons that are important to carry with us. Dr. Purdy discussed her own experience and how she learned more about different fields in science before finding her true passion. Lastly, Dr. Patterson’s talk informed me of the amazing work they do with model organisms, specifically mice.  I enjoyed the lab part of the program the most. In the lab, I was able to work with different scientific instruments, learn new techniques, and conduct assays using different methods. This was a transformational experience that reinforced my interest in science and scientific research. Conducting, analyzing, and presenting my research was a vital experience in my scientific journey. Heading into my junior year, I feel even more driven to learn as much as I can about science—specifically neurology—a field I am passionate about. I researched the effects of ginkgo biloba and head trauma on fruit flies. Although my data led me to a conclusion contrary to what I had initially hypothesized, my results just made me more curious to see what more trials and replicates could reveal. I am grateful for this opportunity and for the effort and organization that went into creating this program. It truly has been an invaluable experience in my path towards becoming a medical professional.
 Hello everyone! As I reflect on the incredible week I have spent at TRIP, I realize how much I have grown both as a researcher and as a learner. This program challenged me to think critically and work carefully through each step of my experiment. For my experiment, I tested the effects of a high sugar diet stressor and the drug fenugreek on fly mobility. It took time for me to fully understand each assay I did, even when reading instructions. However, I found visual representations, either from videos or demonstrations by my teaching assistants in person, to be extremely helpful. Once I watched a visual representation of what I would be doing for each assay, it allowed me to feel more confident in performing it independently and refer to the instructions from time to time if needed. Furthermore, the career talks we had throughout the week covered different career aspects that are a part of the Fox Chase Cancer Center. Although I found it all to be eye-opening in ways that I had never thought of, what resonated with me the most was the emphasis on the patient experience. When Brice Corbin emphasized this in his talk, it was a good reminder of why I became interested in medicine. I respected the integrity and culture at Fox Chase, which was welcoming to everyone. An environment that fosters building relationships for healing is essential for patients, allowing them to be more trustful of their healthcare providers. So overall, I admired the dedication to facilitating the holistic approach that Fox Chase makes for its patients.  When I think about the most memorable parts of the program, it was most likely the hands-on lab work and being able to design and carry out my own experiment. It helped me build confidence in my ability to think critically and solve problems. Coming into TRIP was completely out of my comfort zone, but with the help of Dr. Austria, my teaching assistants, and my peers, I managed to learn a lot. Communication is a factor I prioritize greatly when it comes to improving myself, and in doing so with everyone, it allowed me to genuinely enjoy the process. I came in with the curiosity and humility to be willing to learn in depth while sometimes admitting that I did not know everything. Keeping that in mind throughout the program allowed me to handle the challenges that came along and made the end results more rewarding. An instance where I embraced failure was mainly when transferring flies. Once I figured out how to transfer them more efficiently by placing a vial on a tube rack with a funnel to hold it in place, I was able to preserve more flies. Learning along the way came naturally throughout the week, especially as I gained hands-on experience and support from my mentors. On the other hand, learning how to use a micropipette for the first time, or even differentiating male and female flies, was easy for me. So, there were times when I knew what I was doing and other times when I did not, but I embraced every moment as a part of my understanding. My overall takeaway from this journey at TRIP was that I took the time to learn and be open to trying new things. Fox Chase was the most welcoming environment for me to do so, and I will forever appreciate the opportunity that I had to experience that.   TRIP has sadly come to an end, but it has left me with an experience that I will never forget. Throughout these past three months, I learned a plethora of invaluable lab skills that I am now taking with me into my future. From conducting several assays to simply just sorting flies, TRIP taught me not just the how, but the why behind scientific research.
This Saturday I am going to be presenting my project for the symposium, and I can’t wait! I am beyond grateful for all the help and guidance I received from Dr. Amanda Purdy, Dr. Theresea Austria, Dr. Silvia Valdes, Mr. Austin Cozzone, Phoebe Ting, Amritha Sakamuri, and Martie Corcoran. I’m truly honored to have been part of such an amazing opportunity!   Wow! This TRIP really flew by! The past 12 weeks have been filled with so much emotion, from learning about flies, to using them to conduct my own research experiment. It has been such an exciting experience, watching myself and my lab mates grow in the area of science and experimentation. Being able to perform several assays and research to see the true benefits of this research encourages me for the future, really exciting me for what's to come.  Moving back a little, for my independent project, I focused on the effects of high sugar diets and Vitamin E on the pain sensitivity and health of flies. To conduct this, I used the pain tolerance assay and negative geotaxis assay, which I think were very fun to do. For the pain tolerance assay, I placed flies into a small petri dish and then put these into a hot water bath, where I measured how many flies were dead or alive at the end of four minutes. The results I got were so interesting, as I got to see how high sugar diets could truly affect the amount of pain we perceive and that Vitamin E had the ability to mitigate the harm. For my negative geotaxis assay, I placed 10 flies in a vial and measured how many flies were above or below 4 centimeters after 5 seconds. The flies below would be considered as inactive/unhealthy, and the flies above would be more active/healthy. Conducting these assays may seem very easy when you read through the procedure, but trust me, it all comes from practice. I went from dropping my fly vial when I first tried to transfer them, to being able to transfer all 6 of my vials in a matter of minutes. No matter how many challenges I faced, seeing the final result of all my hard work at the final symposium made all of this worth it. Communicating my research from the past five weeks and presenting it to my family, friends, mentors, and peers, was such an amazing experience that I will not forget  Being part of the TRIP Initiative really pushed me out of my comfort zone, allowing me to learn more about myself as a researcher and scientist. A huge shoutout to Dr. Purdy for always answering all of my questions, Dr. Austria for pushing me when necessary, Dr. Valdes for working patiently with me through my assay, Mr. Cozzone for his amazing humor, and our TA’s Amritha, Phoebe, and Martie for helping me through everything. This TRIP was one of a lifetime, and I am so excited to see what this opportunity will bring for my future experiences.   Over the past few months, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the TRIP Initiative, a program that gave me hands-on experience in scientific research, collaboration, and problem-solving. From the start, TRIP pushed me to think independently, ask meaningful questions, and design experiments with real-world impact. It’s been an incredibly rewarding experience that has deepened both my interest in science and my confidence in a lab setting. For my independent project, I chose to explore how artificial sweeteners affect energy levels. My question was: Do sweeteners like stevia and aspartame impact the energy and activity levels of fruit flies compared to sugar or no sweetener at all? This idea was inspired by how common artificial sweeteners are in our daily diets—from “sugar-free” drinks to low-calorie snacks—and how little we really know about their biological effects. As someone interested in healthcare and nutrition, I wanted to explore whether these sweeteners could actually be altering our energy in ways we don’t notice.  To test this, I used both a negative geotaxis assay (which measures adult fly movement) and a larval locomotion assay (which evaluates movement in developing flies). The results were clear: all three sweeteners—stevia, sugar, and aspartame—increased energy and activity compared to the control. In adult flies, stevia and sugar had the strongest effects, with nearly equal percentages of active flies—both significantly higher than those in the control group. In larvae, stevia stood out by producing the highest average movement, suggesting it may be particularly effective at enhancing energy. Aspartame also showed a moderate boost in activity in both assays, though its effects were not as strong as stevia or sugar.  One of the highlights of TRIP was being surrounded by such talented and motivated people. I loved working alongside students who were curious, passionate, and always willing to help. I’m especially grateful to Dr. Purdy, Dr. Austria, Dr. Valdes, Mr. Cozzone, and all of the TAs for their constant support, encouragement, and guidance throughout the program. Their enthusiasm and expertise made every session meaningful and enjoyable.
TRIP has taught me more than I ever expected—from designing an experiment and analyzing data to improving my presentation skills and working efficiently in a lab environment. One of my favorite parts was the independence we were given; we weren’t just following steps from a textbook—we were developing real questions, troubleshooting problems, and drawing our own conclusions. Although there were challenges along the way, every setback helped me grow as a student and a scientist. I’m incredibly grateful for this experience and would highly recommend TRIP to any student looking to explore research, develop new skills, and discover their potential in science. |
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